Anna dobmitzer



(No Model.)

A. DORMITZER.

COMBINED WINDOW CLEANING CHAIR AND FIRE ESCAPE. No, 256,654. Patented Apr. 18,, 1882.

INVENTOR imzm w-% 5w&, ,4 9, IIWIM} \d ATTORNEY I N. PETERS, Imam-Lithographer. Washington. ma

f UNITED STATES PATENT Orrtca.

ANNA DORMITZER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED WINDOW-CLEANING CHAIR AND FIRE-ESCAPE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,654, dated April 18, 1882.

' Application filed December 10, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA DORMITZER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoinbinedWindow-OleaningChairs andFire- Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed as an improvement on the window-cleaning chair for which Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 200,441, 206,935, 208,936, 219,234, and 2+l4,203 were granted and issuedto me respectively February 19 and August 13, 1878, September 2, 1879, and July 12,1881; and its object is to further simplify the chair, to make it less expensive, and to provide a most convenient and safe device by which to escape from a burning building.

Theinvention consists ofan improved clampingdevice for securing the chair and fire-escape to a window-sill, and of a simple, safe, and readily-manipulated fire-escape combined with and secured to the chair.

Figure l is a side view of my improved device,partly in section,in position in a windowframe. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the device on line a; m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a'rear elevation of a portion of the device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a rack-plate in position.

Fig.5 is an enlarged end elevation of a portion of the clamping device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts. t:

In the drawings, A represents the chairplatform, provided with a raised strip, B, fastened along its rear edge, to serve as a partial support to the back guard, B, that is hinged on the face of the platform A, between the'side guards, O O, which are. hinged on the upper edges of the side strips,-G O, that are securely fastened on the edges of the said platform A. On the under side of the platform A,'near its front end, is a cross-brace, D, which serves to-strengthen the chair and to afford support i'or the swin g-in g rectangular step-frame D, which is hinged thereto. Said frame D consists of two vertical parallel side bars, 0 0, securely held together at top and bottom by cross-bars c 0, while fromthe front of .said bars 0 c, at their lower ends, are the projecting brackets c 0 supporting the fixed step E. On the rear faces of these bars 00 are secured wed geshaped blocks 61 d, faced with leather or other suitable soft material, that are designed to take against the inner face of the window-sill or wainscot when the chair is in position, the leather preventing the sill or Wainscot from becoming defaced.

' On the rear faces of the bars a c are secured springs E that have on their lower ends wedge-shaped leather-covered blocks d ,to pre vent the defacement of the Wainscot and to afford a better hold thereon, and these blocks (I may be pressed against the wainscot with, any desired force by set-screws (1 that pass through the bars 0 'c. I

Pivoted to the sides of the side bars, a a, near their tops are flat curved iron supports F, that carry the auxiliary step F, which swivels between their lower ends, and is held flat on the top of the fixed step E, when desired, by a stud, j, which is attached on the end of a spring, f, secured on the under side of the step E, and which projects up through thecenter of said step E into a corresponding socket, f therein. This step F is also provided with two pivoted legs, 9 g, that may be folded in slots in said step, and may be 1111- folded and adjusted when said step is elevated for the operator to stand on to reach the top of the window or window-frame.

On the side strips of the platform, near the rear thereof, are firmly secured racks I, in such a manner that throughout their lengths spaces hare left between them and the platform side strips.- The inner faces of theseracks I are fashioned into alternate projections 13 and depressions i, and said racks l are held in place by end bolts or screws, 7c, and by pins or equivalent devices which latter pass through the projections i, and thereby form sockets for the reception of the end plates of the clamping device G, which is arranged on the under side of the platform A, and operates to secure thechair ,on a window-sill. This improved clamping de- Qvi'ce G consists of aflat bar or plate, G, extendin g across the platform Aon theunder side thereof, andhavin g secured on its ends upward-projectin g metal plates L, that are designed to extend upwardthrough and be adjusted in sockets formed in the racks I. Said plate G has fixed on its front vertical blocks GP, thatterminate alittle below its median horizontal line, so that their lower ends may rest on the top of the outer window-sill when the chair is in position, while that portion of the plate G below the ends of the blocks G has anti-friction pieces fixed on its face, as indicated in Fig. 2, that will take against the outer face ofthe sill when the chair is secured in position in a window. The said plates L have serrated front edges, as shown at m,and are provided near their extremities with buttons m. It will be seen, then, that the clamping device Gis held in place by the engagement of its plates L in the racks I.

A stout thumb-screw, H, is passed from the front of the chair rearward, and has its extremity journaled in a suitable hanger depending from the platform A, and on this screw H is a traveling nut, H, from which there project rearward through the bar G two bars, a 'n, to connect said bar G and nut H. These bars a n are pivoted on the nut H, so as to move in vertical planes, and they incline downward as well as rearward to enter through the bar G, where they are secured, so that when the screw H is turned in one direction the clamping-bar G is inclined with its lower edge forward with all necessary force against the outside of the window-sill M, whereby said sill M is clasped firmly between the frame D and the clamping-bar G. By turning the screw H in the opposite direction the lower edge of the clam pin g-bar G is carried rearward, so that the chair may be removed from its position in the window; and theharsn n, beingpivoted to the nut H, facilitate the downward and forward swingingof the bar G wheuitisdesired to withdraw the plates L from certain of the ra-ek-sockets,'in order to adjust them in other of the rack-soekets to change the angle of inclination ol' the bar G or its distance from the frame D; and, if desired, the plates L may be entirely withdrawn from the racks I, in which case the elampingdevice G will swingdown in a reversed position, depending from the nut H.

The chair may be adapted to window-sills of any width by adjusting the distance between the step-frame D and the bar G, and this adjustment is made by turning the angle-plate buttons m veitically and lhenintroducing the ends of said plates L up through any two opposite sockets in the racks I, the buttons m in this position readily passing up through the depressions i. Then the buttons m areturned horizontally to prevent the clamping device from becoming displaced, and at the same time the serrated edges of the plates L bear against the pins k that are immediately opposed to them, while the rear edges of the said plates L take against those pins k opposite them, and thereby hold the clamping device G upin desired position. The lower ends oi the blocks G at the same time rest on the top of the outer window-sill and the lower front edge of the bar G takes against the outer face of the sill, as

hereinbefore set forth, so that the chair is supported in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position, and may be secured therein by operating the screw H.

The [ire-escape O, which is combined with the chair, consists of a rope ladder, P, with rigid rungs suspended from the windlass Q, that revolves in hangers 1t, secured to the rear corners of the chair.

On one end of the Windlass Q is a ratchet, S, in whose teeth thepawlT, which is pivoted on a hanger, R, engages, and the elongated arm of said pawl'lserves by its weight to keep the finger of said pawl engaged in the teeth of the ratchet S, as well as to afford aconvenient handle whereby any one may control the descent of the fire-escape.

As a further security against the too rapid descent at any time of the fire-escape, the cocentric-lever U, pivoted on a hanger, R, is provided. Downward pressure upon the arm of this lever U brings the outer curve of the eccentric against the windlass-shaft, and according to the force exerted the descent ofthe escape may be made more gradual or entirely checked. The cord V, leading from the arm of this lever U, will, it held by a person on the fire-escape, enable the operator to regulate at will the downward movement of saiiLescape.

At the lower end of the ladder I? a box or basket, W, is suspended, which may be used for the reception of persons or goods to be saved from the building to which the. device is attached, or may be lowered to rest upon the ground and serve to steady the ladder P when one is descending the latter; and weights may be placed in said box or basket W to give the ladder greater stability.

When using this device simply-as a fire-escape the back and side guards of the chair may be dispensed with.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the platform A and step-frame D, or the clamping device G, consisting of clamping-bar G, blocks G end plates, L, racks l, screw H, traveling nut H, and pivoted bars 11; a, constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as herein shown and described.

2. As a means for supporting the combined chair aml fire-escape in position on a windowsill, the combination, with the screw-adjusted bar G, oi the blocks G serrated end plates, L, and racks I, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with the window-cleaning chair, provided with platform A,step-frame D,and suitable clamping devices and hangers, all constructed substantially as herein shown and described, of the rope ladder P, windlass Q, ratchet S, pawl T, connected eccentric regulating-lever and cord U V, and basket W, all arranged and operated as set forth.

ANNA DORMITZER.

Witnesses: James H. HUNTER,

WM. W LUYSTER. 

